As She Watched
by Espiritus
Summary: In response to SiriusFan13's challenge: A basic summation of the Rurouni Kenshin series from Tomoe's point of view. Oneshot.


**Disclaimer:** I do not own Rurouni Kenshin. This is to SiriusFan13'a challenge on _Rurouni Kenshin dream _forum. In response to SiriusFan13's challenge: A basic summation of the Rurouni Kenshin series by Tomoe's point of view.

Warning: They will be spoilers in here and though they are not in detail, they are there.

**As She Watched  
**By: Espiritus

As she watched, he grew from a boy to a man. Where once he made it rain tears he now cried pure ones.

She smiled that foggy spring day so long ago when a violent kendo instructor attacked him on the streets accusing him of being Battousai. It was then she knew that this woman and her second love were destined, more so than she ever was, and she let him go with comfort and joy.

Her Kenshin would be taken care of.

As she watched, she came to fall in love with the woman whom he fell in love with glad for once that he made a good choice. She laughed as two little girls climbed onto his magenta-clad back and proclaimed him "pony"!

She found herself calm despite Yahiko's rants while Kaoru found herself bound to fits of anger. Yes, the girl would do well for Kenshin, and once more she smiled.

As she watched, she found Kenshin making friends out of enemies instead of killing them. He was known as Himura the Battousai, a manslayer, but often at times she wondered if her life back then with him had been a dream. The man who she watched now was the complete opposite, but nevertheless, she was glad for the change. He saved Sanouske and Megumi with his kindness. Another man, Aoshi, guilt ridden and his soul searing with anguish over his friends' deaths, could not accept Kenshin's helpful hand. He disappeared only to come back destroyed months later, and again Kenshin tried to save him. This time, he succeeded.

She came to love the sound of Kaoru's voice; it seemed as if it was the only way to break Kenshin's rage. Watching Kenshin face off against Jin-e, she became petrified when she watched the blade rise above his crimson hair. She forced her eyes to remain open; she did not want it to rain blood again, but Kaoru's strength persisted.

She saved_ him_ that day.

She stood straight backed besides Kaoru when Kenshin fought against himself and Saitou. She viewed him with eyes of no emotion, of outer calmness, but fought anxiety and worry for both he and Kaoru within her. And when Kaoru screamed out his name, she wished that Kenshin would break his rage, but for the first time the girl's voice did nothing.

She smiled jadedly after it was over glad that Kenshin returned from his rage.

As she watched him, with fireflies all around her still form, leave the woman he loved to fight Shishio, she could not decide whether to love or chastised him for his noble heart. Sometimes Kenshin was too good.

She was there when a genkai ninja girl named Misao ambushed Kenshin without a clue in the world to whom he had been ten years ago. He had met and fought Aoshi, for Misao that had been reason enough to follow him. Silently, she rejoiced because he now had a traveling partner - willingly or not.

She was there for both Kaoru and Kenshin. When they did not have each other, she was there. She was surprised by Kaoru's tears after Kenshin left, but could not blame the girl. How many people had left her and never returned? She touched Kenshin's broken sword after Soujiro broke the metal with his own, her own eyes gazing into the depths of both men's' eyes and seeing pain beyond all comprehension.

She barely kept her silence when she viewed the interaction between Hiko and Kenshin. They bickered like little ones - how odd that they were both masters of the sword. And when she caught sight of Kaoru and Yahiko at the door to Hiko's hut, she wanted to know Kenshin's feelings; they were a mixture of frustration and gladness.

She was glad Kaoru was by his side once again.

Fear took a hold of her heart when she understood how strong Shishio was. It took more than Kenshin to fight him off, but in the end, Kenshin had been victorious. Shishio's unstable body had given up on his desires for control and revenge. So burned and barely alive, she shed her first tears when Kaoru embrace Kenshin when he returned.

The girl had seen her own battles during that time, she watched over her as well.

She knelt by Kaoru as both she and Kenshin visited her grave, and once again felt love for the girl who stole Kenshin's heart away from sorrow. They needed one another. She only hoped that the rurouni would tell Kaoru his feelings.

As she watched, she stood in the presence of many other battles. She was there, watching, as Kenshin as he fought in a field of flowers, ablaze with fire, and when he fought with blind eyes against a man who claimed to be God.

In every battle, both she and Kaoru were at his side never giving up on hope.

Then one day her brother revealed himself.

She smiled Enishi often when he was away in China, disapproving of his ways, but loving him all the same. He blocked himself from every one, surrounded himself in coldness and comforted himself with thoughts of blood and revenge. Still, she smiled for her little brother.

He came with the intention of bringing pain to Kenshin beyond that of death; he took Kaoru from him, placed a sword in the heart of a doll that looked identical to her and, as a finishing touch, etched a cross-shaped scar onto the doll's right cheek.

Revenge beyond that of death. For the second time, she cried.

She never could have foreseen that Kenshin would give up on all hope and move to Rakuninmura, a place filled with hopelessness for those left with nothing other than their shame.

She no longer smiled for Enishi.

As she watched, she saw Kaoru work herself into the heart of her brother showing kindness to him that no one had given him in over ten years. She often wondered how could a girl be so forgiving, but she was thankful for the girl's love for others. She saved so many.

She wanted to go to Kenshin and tell him the truth about Kaoru's whereabouts, but she knew she could not; it was taboo. Instead she met him within his dreams and smiled to him. He knew then what he had to do, and before Yahiko and the others could tell him Kaoru was alive, he was ready to save her.

She watched beside Kaoru as her brother and her second love fought, but this time she no longer smiled for Enishi and both men knew. It was then something occurred. Kaoru was placed before the mouth of a gun and it was Enishi who saved her. She once again smiled for her little brother.

Many years passed, but for her it was but an instant. There were times of joy and happiness hampered by times of sorrow, but in those times there was always love. And as she watched, her heart grew again and again until finally her soft smile came and never went.

And as she watched, she grew and was finally able to leave.

**A/N:** Sorry that I basically skipped over the Christian Arc and the Flower of Youth episodes - I was getting tried of writing. I hope you all don't mind the repeated sentence structure; still, I hoped the story turned out all right. And I know my grammar sucks.


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